Fiona's POV

Today was the moment we had all been waiting for—our project presentation day. The tension in the air was palpable. I glanced over at Kayla, who was visibly anxious, sweat beads glistening on her forehead and her foot tapping a nervous rhythm that echoed my own unease.

As our teacher droned on about tetraoxosulphate (vi), my mind was too tangled in worry to fully grasp the details. It was my first time presenting, and despite my preparations, the butterflies in my stomach felt like they were staging a full-blown riot.

When the bell rang for the last class, I bolted out the door but noticed Kayla still sitting at her desk, lost in thought.

"Kayla!" I called, hoping to break her concentration.

Her head snapped up. "Yes?" she replied, her voice shaky.

"We need to get to class!" I urged urgency in my tone.

"Right, of course. Just give me a second," she said, her eyes a bit unfocused.

"Are you alright?" Luca chimed in, concern etched on his face.

Kayla offered a small smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. "Yeah, just a bit nervous," she admitted.

Once she had gathered her things, we hurried to class. Luckily, Mrs. Valerie hadn’t arrived yet, and we slipped into our seats, the anticipation hanging thick in the room.

As the door swung open, Mrs. Valerie greeted us with a cheerful, "Good day, class!"

"Good day, Mrs. Valerie!" we chorused back, though I could tell many were already dreading the impending presentations.

"I'm sure everyone is aware that today is project presentation day!" she announced, her excitement clashing with the collective groans that erupted from our classmates.

"Alright, settle down," she insisted, attempting to quell the discontent. "So, who's brave enough to go first?"

A heavy silence fell over the room, with most of us shifting our gaze toward the door or anxiously eyeing the window.

“Let’s see…how about Kayla and Fiona?” she said, calling our names and sending a wave of dread crashing over me.

We made our way to the front of the class, and I could practically feel Kayla's nerves intensifying. Her breaths grew quicker, so I decided to take the initiative to ease the tension.

I began, “The phospholipid bilayer consists of two adjacent sheets of phospholipids, arranged tail to tail. The hydrophobic tails come together, creating the membrane's interior..."

With each sentence, I felt my confidence build, and I continued, “The primary role of the plasma membrane is to regulate the concentration of various substances inside the cell, including ions like Na+, Ca+, K-, and Cl-; essential nutrients such as sugars, fatty acids, and amino acids; as well as waste products like carbon dioxide (CO2), which must be expelled from the cell.”

As I spoke, I could see Kayla beginning to relax, and I knew our hard work was about to pay off.

As I stepped back from the front of the classroom, I squeezed Kayla's hand for reassurance, and she took a deep breath, ready for her moment in the spotlight.

"Osmosis is the diffusion of water through a semi-permeable membrane down its concentration gradient," she began, her voice steady. "When a membrane allows water to pass but not a solute, water seeks to balance itself by moving toward the area with lower water concentration, or higher solute concentration..."

She seamlessly transitioned into her explanation of cell biology. "One of the main distinctions between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells is that eukaryotic cells contain a nucleus. The nucleus is responsible for housing chromatin, a combination of DNA and protein, suspended in a gel-like substance known as nucleoplasm..."

With confidence, she continued, "Chromosomes become visible and distinct only when a cell prepares to divide. To manage the large amounts of DNA within the nucleus, proteins called histones bind to chromosomes. The DNA wraps around these histones, creating a structure reminiscent of beads on a string. We refer to these complexes as chromatin." She finished with a flourish.

"A round of applause for our presenters!" Mrs. Valerie cheered, clapping her hands enthusiastically. "You can return to your seats now."

"Thank you," Kayla mouthed to me as she made her way back to her desk.

"No problem," I replied, feeling a wave of relief wash over me.

The rest of the class went smoothly, and Mrs. Valerie promised we'd receive our grades next week. I couldn't help but smile as the final bell rang, a sense of accomplishment buzzing through me.

As Kayla, Luca, and I walked toward the parking lot, eager to meet up with Lila, she greeted us with her usual enthusiasm. "Hey, guys! How did your presentations go?"

"Kayla and Fiona absolutely nailed theirs! Mine was just okay, to be honest," Luca replied, sounding a bit humble.

"Come on, Luca, you did great too!" Kayla chimed in, encouraging him.

I caught a spark between Kayla and Luca, and I was almost convinced they were oblivious to their mutual feelings. Lila and I had decided it was time to play matchmakers.

"Let’s celebrate with some ice cream!" Lila exclaimed, clapping her hands together.

"Yay!" we cheered, the carefree energy sweeping over us like children.

As we settled into the back seat on the way to Macy's, Kayla said, "I’ll have the vanilla."

"I'll go with strawberry," Luca followed.

"Chocolate for me," I said, grinning.

"And I’ll take a banana," Lila chimed in.

"Your orders will be ready shortly," the waiter announced before scurrying off.

"Excuse me," Kayla said, suddenly standing up and walking to a quiet corner.

When our orders arrived and Kayla was still missing, Lila decided to check on her. "Okay, I’ll go find her," she said, rising from her seat.

"Luca, do you happen to have a pad with you?" Lila asked, catching me off guard.

"Yeah, here you go," he responded, handing it over without a second thought.

"Thanks!" she replied before rushing off to find Kayla.

"You look surprised," Luca said, glancing at me.

"Yeah, it's just that usually, girls feel pressured to keep things like this a secret from guys," I admitted.

"I totally get that. But it shouldn't be like that; it's a natural part of life. Any guy who makes a girl feel embarrassed about it isn't mature enough," he replied, and I couldn’t help but admire his perspective.

A few minutes later, Lila and Kayla returned, and Luca immediately handed her a heating pad. "Here’s a heating pad for you," he said, concern etched on his face. "How are you feeling?"

"Pretty terrible, like my insides are being torn apart?" Kayla joked weakly, managing a small smile.

"Here's your ice cream; it might help with the pain," Lila said, passing her dessert over.

"Thanks, everyone," Kayla said, her gratitude evident.

Once we finished our ice cream, Lila went to settle the bill while I stood outside with Kayla and Luca. In a sweet gesture, Luca took off his jacket and draped it around her waist, a true gentlemanly move.

After settling up, we drove off, and the first stop was my house.

"Bye, guys!" I waved as we pulled into the driveway.

"Bye!" they called back enthusiastically.

I stepped inside to find Dad lounging on the couch, absorbed in a TV show.

"I'm back!" I announced, trying to catch his attention.

He turned, a smile on his face. "Welcome home! How was your day? How did the presentation go?"

"It was great! We did really well, and we even had ice cream to celebrate!" I responded, my excitement bubbling over.

"That sounds fantastic, but be careful not to overindulge," he said, a hint of concern in his voice.

"Dad, it's just a bit!" I laughed. "I’m heading up now. Mum's in their room, right?"

"Yeah."

I knocked softly on their bedroom door. "Mum?"

"Mum?" I called out again, my voice barely breaking the silence.

I opened the door and saw her lying on the bed, lost in dreams. I tiptoed back, careful not to disturb her, and went to my room.

Inside, I took off my clothes and went to the bathroom, where I had drawn a warm bath. As soon as I sank into the soothing water, everything outside faded away. I let myself submerge, feeling the warmth wrap around me, weightless and calm. Eventually, I broke the surface for air, feeling revitalized and ready to enjoy the evening.